Behind Red Eye Metamorphisis
by Xen Kenshin
Summary: The rewrite of my story originally posted in 2011. Based on the GX and 5D's Tag Force games, a short romance story between 'Red Hat' and the partner character Wisteria. She had left Duel Academy Island to escape the supernatural threats and pain. But one thing that caused her pain had escaped the island as well, and he just bumped into her.
1. Chapter 1

**Behind Red Eyes – Metamorphosis**

**_After eight years, I've finally rewritten one of the pieces I take great pride in. Again, this piece blurs the lines of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and 5Ds era. I was surprised to see I still got reviews and other feedback on the original story after so long. I wanted to rewrite this much, much earlier but you know how life gets in the way. If my 2011 self could read this, I know he'd be proud. Please, let me know if you feel the same way in the reviews. If you're reading the new version but haven't seen the old version, feel free to read that one first so you can see the growth I've made. The same goes for if it's been sometime since you read the original. _**

**_The original was a one shot. However, the rewrite will be three chapters. It was a subconscious choice that I feel helps keep the pacing of the story. In theme of keeping pacing, I'll post each chapter weekly. It'll help me stay on track with something else I'm working on. Keep an eye out for that if you enjoy this story._**

**_Special thanks to the ladies who read the old version and gave me feedback, and who helped me edit the new version. You helped make this goal of mine come true. Even if I complained about the editing process._**

**_Chapter One_**

The sun was high for two o'clock, beaming like a smile on the world. Wisteria had finally adjusted to her new Academy. After all of those strange occurrences on Duel Academy Island; the odd cult dressed in white, the mysterious vacant dorm where countless students vanished and even more supernatural occurrences she wanted to forget, going to school in the Inland region of New Domino City was continuing to look like a fresh start for the transfer student. To Wisteria's surprise, however, many of her fellow students must have thought or felt just as she had, as the school was filled with just as many familiar faces as new ones.

Nevertheless, Wisteria felt relieved to be rid of the constant worry of not knowing where, when and what form of supernatural disaster could manifest itself and attempt some form of domination through the Duel Monsters card game.

Coincidentally, she noticed a crowd of people watching a duel near the entrance. Ever since her last encounter with the pastime at her old academy, Wisteria wanted nothing to do with the card game. Wisteria reluctantly moved toward her fellow students in burgundy uniforms, hoping to slip past the commotion.

"Flamevell Uruquizas!" She heard one of the commentators call out. "That's a solid choice!"

'(Flamvell...)' Wisteria thought to herself, the name of the monster ringing a very distant bell. In a flash of white light, the Synchro monster known as Flamvell Uruquizas appeared on the field. Wisteria was instinctively drawn to the sudden flash; she watched the hologram turn its sights to a face-down defense position monster and raise its fist.

"When Uruquizas attacks a Defense Position monster, so long as its attack points are higher than the target's Defense Points, you'll still take damage! Go, Meteor Piercer!" A warm breeze picked up just as the monster's fire cloaked fist struck its target, almost as though it was affecting the physical world.

'(That voice...!)' Wisteria turned around and swiftly walked into the crowd of people. She hardly paid the angry voices any mind as she bumped and shoved her way to the center of the still growing crowd.

"Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Show them the King's might!" Wisteria watched as a large red dragon materialized next to Flamvell Uruquizas and brought its hand down towards their opponent's empty field. She easily recognized the second voice as the former Duel Monsters Champion: Jack Atlas. There were a pair of cries, and both duel monsters vanished from the field.

Just as Wisteria had finally gotten to the center of the crowd, sirens began to blare. The crowd now thrown into a panic, dispersed. Wisteria felt herself get tugged in every possible direction but the one she wanted to move in. There, in the center of it all, was in fact Jack Atlas being pulled away by a male in brown boots, blue denim jeans, red jacket and matching hat with brown hair.

"We need to go!" The male with the cap shouted, his voice was the one she recognized earlier. "Now, Jack!" Jack nodded and followed his companion away from the school. As they fled, he checked to see if they were being followed.

At that moment, the cool breeze gave way to what felt like a summer gale. White teeth grinned from beyond the shadow obscuring the man's face, prompting Wisteria to smile back without thinking. She swiftly straightened her face at the sight of him and Jack Atlas running faster to avoid capture from Sector Security...

* * *

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Red Hat Duelist!" A civilian complained to the duelist who now whistled a cheery tune. "So what if you beat me in a one-on-one? I challenge you to a tag- hey, where are you going, Red Hat?!" 'Red Hat' made his way to the Downtown District, where he entered his favorite card shop and was greeted happily by the owner.

"Come in, come in!" The owner laughed, showing off his wares. "How many will it be today, Red Hat?" Red Hat purchased several complete booster boxes and tore through them in the store. He regarded each card silently, though the owner could sense his mood shift from card to card. "Let me know if you need to buy anymore, okay?" The owner chuckled happily, gesturing to five figurines on his counter. "You've looked out for me in the past, so I'll be more than happy to repay the favor!"

Excellent, I got the card I needed! Whoa, two actually! Red Hat thought to himself as he placed all the other cards he received into his bag. As he left the shop, Red Hat collided into someone, knocking them onto their backside.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" The person nagged at him. He looked away from his cards, and down at the slightly shorter female addressing him.

He recognized her voice. He recognized her light lavender twin tails, and piercing red eyes that bore into his soul. Although the uniform was from a different school, there was no mistaking the one wearing it. It was Wisteria, the girl that he had experienced many events and emotions with back on Duel Academy Island. Laying eyes on her here and now, those same emotions threatened to run rampant. Seeing those red eyes he knew he couldn't avoid made him freeze.

She looked upon him. "It's you!" She spoke in a low, hissed voice that sent a shiver down his spine as she got to her feet. All he could manage was a small, childish nervous smile.

"Don't look at me like that!" She hissed, making him shiver once more. His smile quickly vanished. "What are you doing here?" Wisteria interrogated. He glanced around, then pointed to the tons and tons of cards on display."I know you're buying cards," She growled. "What are you doing in this city?!" A few passerby glanced over when she raised her voice. Wisteria tugged at the man's jacket. "Come with me." She dragged him a few blocks away from the shop where there were significantly less people.

"Shouldn't you still be on the Island?" Wisteria continued her interrogation now that there were less witnesses.

"I go where ever I'm needed." His voice was a familiar wisp from the past that brought back feelings she thought were long gone.

"Needed?" Wisteria repeated, felling her voice losing its rage for some inexplicable reason. "Who needs you, and for what?" Her tone turned cautious as she remembered the strange happenings at Duel Academy Island and how the man in her grasp was almost always at the epicenter of weirdness.

"Right now," His voice was filled with purpose. "It's Team 5D's. Soon, it'll be those who oppose Team 5D's, and possibly even seek to destroy the world…" His gaze, although hidden by the cap, had fallen upon Wisteria. She knew this, as she felt an odd warmth overtake her. That warmth irritated her.

"And then, it'll be you who needs me, Wisteria."

Those words quickly smothered the minuscule tingles of warmth Wisteria felt and triggered her cold personality. "Why would I need you?" Both Wisteria's argument and voice sounded petty. "The maniac obsessed with dueling who kept challenging me?"

"Because we're bound by fate." He smiled. "You're also an amazing duelist." He then added. "One that I finally managed to break even with after months of failure

"Why would I need the guy who got me mixed up with all the weird things that happened at that Island?" Wisteria countered his compliment, her red eyes staring into the shadow that covered his face.

"Just being there got you involved." He smiled slyly. "Not my fault."

"So what," Wisteria hissed, leaning closer for effect. "You thought you'd follow me and bring along more of your supernatural weirdness?"

"Hey," he began. "That was Island weirdness that I just so happened to be involved with. Or caused."

"How reassuring." The cool breeze around them slightly chilled as she sighed and glared at him. "Look, I may not be able to stop you from going where and doing what you please, but don't do anything to get me mixed up in your craziness."

"Sorry," He didn't sound very apologetic, nor was his smile convincing. "But like I said. We're bound by fate."

"Fate?" Wisteria laughed condescendingly. "Are you sure you're not just stalking me, Slade?"

His smile vanished. The wind picked up, and Wisteria reflexively shivered from its abrupt winter like harshness. She instinctively crossed her arms to stay warm. Slade faced away from Wisteria. "I would never do something like that." Wisteria couldn't stop her heart from dropping at his monotone. "You of all people should know that."

"Well," Wisteria's voice cracked a bit. "Maybe my words were a bit cruel," She mentally made note of her word choice. "But it is ridiculous how you're in the same city, and we literally bump into each other at that store."

"We're duelists." Slade offered, his voice still dry. "Us being at that store makes sense."

"I actually don't duel anymore…" Wisteria wondered why her tone had a hint of sadness. "I made that decision long ago and didn't have any regrets. This store is just on the way to where I buy my school supplies." She was taken aback by how swiftly Slade turned to face her.

"What?!" His sudden outburst made Wisteria and a few others stare at him in surprise. "But I just said you were an amazing duelist! Why would you give up on dueling?" In an almost footnote manner, he added "Don't you know the world we live in?"

"It's my decision to make, Slade." Wisteria spoke adamantly, her tone back to its curt and decisive tone. "And it's the decision I stand by."

"That's crazy." Slade shook his head. "What would have made you…" He trailed off as he slowly recognized the expression on Wisteria's face. "The last duel we had on the island." He tugged at his red hat, now aware of the gravity of the situation. "So you haven't touched a deck since we broke…" Slade felt a lump in his throat. "Since we broke even?" Wisteria nodded again, her grasp around her arms tightening. "I'm sorry," He began. "I couldn't hold back even against you…"

"Don't." Wisteria spoke hurriedly. "You already apologized… back then." She cleared her throat. "And I was the one who issued the challenge and made the terms."

"…right." Slade awkwardly looked around, clearly uncomfortable. "It's getting late," he looked at Wisteria. "And it's getting cold."

"Yeah," Wisteria was immediately aware of Slade entering her space. Before she could move, she felt warmth envelope her and a weight grace her shoulders. She flinched backwards from Slade as he put his jacket around her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"You're cold," he spoke matter-of-factly. "And frankly, I'm kind of hot." Wisteria opened her mouth to object, but her eyes now traced over his outline sans his jacket. "Hm?" He hummed curiously.

"You've gotten… bigger." She remarked on his physique. "Weren't we the same height back on the Island? And I don't remember you being so…" She eyed him for a moment. "Toned."

"Oh," he laughed. "It's been about a year. I've grown quite a bit." He flexed his muscles. "And I've been working a bunch of labor jobs for the better part of the year. Does it really show?"

Wisteria felt a balminess from a source that wasn't Slade's jacket. "I guess." Wisteria was then reminded his jacket was on her. "I've got to get those supplies before the store closes. I've got projects due." She went to remove the jacket, but Slade placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll come with you, as an apology." Slade smiled.

"Apology?" Wisteria frowned. "I just said you already apologized."

"No," Slade jumped to respond. "No… not that. To apologize for knocking you down earlier. I'll buy whatever you need."

"You don't have to do that." Wisteria shook her head and her shoulders to push Slade away.

"Please." She glanced up at his obscured face when she heard his tone. "It's the least I can do."

Wisteria involuntarily placed a hand over her heart; that wasn't the wispy voice she was accustomed to. "F-fine," Wisteria stammered. "I guess it's better than suing you."

Slade let out an earnest laugh. "You've still got that sense of humor." His laugh gradually died down as he saw the serious expression on her face. "You… you weren't joking?"

* * *

Wisteria rolled over in her bed and turned off her alarm clock. Her crimson eyes fell upon Slade's jacket that rest on her chair adjacent to her study desk.

_"Slade, your vest!" She had called after him._

_"You hold onto it! I want you to get home warm!"_

Wisteria narrowed her eyes. "You sneaky little…" She cursed herself and got out of bed. "The sooner I give this back, the sooner he'll get the idea of bumping into me again out of his head."

Her fourth period had ended, and Wisteria sat outside to enjoy her lunch. She enjoyed the visual design of the campus as well as its carefully sculpted greenery.

Speaking of green…

"Wisteria~!" She had seen the green hair as soon as they stepped outside of the school building. The gentle bobbing of the blue ribbons and glasses did not belie the swiftness of the girl walking toward her. "Are you eating lunch alone again?" The girl stopped beside the table Wisteria sat at, a huge smile on her face and a box lunch in her hands.

"Not anymore, it would seem." Wisteria sighed.

The girl smiled and sat across from Wisteria, settling herself in and opening her lunch. "You're still so cold, even while opening up to me." She remarked, eyeing Wisteria from the corner of her vision.

"Is that so, Bright?" Wisteria took a bite of her food.

"See, right there!" Bright placed a thermos from her bag beside Wisteria. "Why don't you touch this and keep my drink cold?"

"Goodbye, Bright." Wisteria began to pack up her food.

"I'm just jo~king!" Bright sang. "Take a joke." She went into her bag and pulled out a cookie. "Here, a little something for putting up with my shenanigans." Wisteria took the cookie almost as swiftly as she sat back down. It was then Bright noticed the bag at Wisteria's feet. "What's in the bag?"

Wisteria looked up from the two-thirds of the cookie. "Hm?"

"At least finish your food first!" Bright scolded. She sighed when Wisteria simply shook her head no. "But what's in the bag?" Bright pointed to the bag with her utensil.

"Something I have to return." Wisteria responded, placing down the remains of the cookie and eating her food.

"Can I try it on?" Wisteria looked up at Bright, her brow furrowed. "Well, I see a sleeve hanging out so I guess it's a jacket." Wisteria looked down and saw only the slightest bit of fabric sticking out from the top. She narrowed her eyes at Bright. "What?" Bright asked, avoiding eye contact. She could feel Wisteria's eyes on her. "What?" Bright asked again, trying to casually eat her food but missing her mouth. Bright felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a cold chill go down her spine. She risked a glance at Wisteria; her rubicund eyes almost looked as if they were glowing with rage.

"Okay, I took a peek when I sat behind you in second period!" Bright finally cracked. "I waited until you went to the bathroom and I know it's a guy's jacket. Everyone told me not to do it, but I couldn't help it!" Wisteria's eyes seemed to negate Bright's peripheral vision, causing a tunnel like effect of eye contact. "I know you hate it when people snoop, but the thought of you being with a guy is so interesting!"

Wisteria rolled her eyes. Bright suddenly let out a gasp, as though she could finally breathe again. "I had a feeling you were buttering me up with that cookie." Bright looked down at the cookie – where the cookie was, then at Wisteria's food – her empty plate. She looked back at Wisteria. "Hm? Oh, I ate while you were spaced out for a few minutes." Bright opened her mouth to contest the time, but Wisteria continued. "So, you want to know who owns it?"

"It's that red hat duelists' jacket, right?" Wisteria was taken aback by the immediate response. She blinked at the glare on Bright's glasses, obscuring her eyes. "So I'm right. What relationship do you two have?"

"Well, it's almost time for the next class." Wisteria packed up her food container and grabbed her two bags. "I'll see you later."

"We're not done here!" Bright shot out of her seat.

"You're done now." Wisteria pointed to the table. Bright followed her finger, and saw her lunch scattered on the surface. Bright let out a low squeal, something like a whining animal, as Wisteria briskly walked away.

* * *

Wisteria stood inside of an auto shop, her back to the wall, trying to take up as little space as possible as all the mechanics hustled and bustled about.

"Where's the axle grease?"  
"Has anyone seen my spanner?"  
"Where's the headlight fluid?!"  
"The what?"  
"We have to get those orders ready in less than an hour! Where is he?"  
"He should be back soon!"  
"Does he have a cell phone?"  
"I know he has a PDA. I don't think he has a phone."  
"Then send him an email! And tell him his girlfriend is waiting for him!"

"I'm not his…" Wisteria's voice was swallowed up by the sound of machines and others shouting.

"Speaking of PDA, she's really pretty!"  
"He meant personal digital assistant, not public display of affection!"  
"Thanks for explaining the joke!"  
"Fellas, don't talk about the young lady like she's not right there!"  
"Hey, miss, haven't you been on TV before?"  
"You know, she does look like that up and coming actress… what's her face?"  
"I don't think a college student would have time to be an actress."  
"College students never have time! You'd know that if you went, already!"

"This is ridiculous. I can just leave it here…" Wisteria sighed.

Just as she spoke those words, a familiar figure walked through the doorway. "Hey guys!" Slade's voice gained precedence over the noise for but a moment before the noise doubled.

"It took you long enough – whoa!"  
"Did you run an errand or run with the bulls?!"  
"What happened man, you got into a fight?"  
"Who we fighting, Red Hat?!"  
"Did you finish the errand, at least?"

Slade laughed, looking around the room. "Just hit a few bumps... literally." He stopped when he saw Wisteria staring at him. "What are you - whoa!" He exclaimed when Wisteria pulled him out of the auto body shop.

"Seriously, did you finish the – where'd he go?"  
"His girlfriend dragged him off!"

* * *

"You're still getting hurt?" Wisteria heaved a sigh as Slade unconsciously flinched away from the swab. "Hold still."

"I'm telling you, it's alright." Slade grumbled. "I can do it myself."

"I go through all the trouble of tracking down the infamous 'Red Hat' and what do I find? You're fighting with people like you're in grade school."

"I wasn't fighting." Slade moved his head back at Wisteria's expression. "This time. The errand was trying out a duel runner part and I had a bit of a spill. I didn't have my riding suit or my jacket, so there are a few more abrasions than – ow."

"If you weren't so bent on giving me your jacket, you wouldn't be going through this right now." Wisteria scolded him. "You never thought things through."

"I'll have you know," Slade spoke indignantly "I have thought many things through."

"Were they all duel related?" Wisteria pursed her lips.

"…I've thought through the average amount of… stuff." Slade's weak rebuttal didn't go unnoticed by Wisteria. Nor did the angle of his head.

"What are you staring at?" Wisteria asked, using this moment to swab one of the scratches on his forehead.

"You've grown up, too." Slade spoke, his head clearly tilted downward.

"And what does that mean?" Wisteria interrogated Slade.

"Your face." He spoke with clarity. "You seem more mature. And you've gotten more beautiful."

Wisteria lowered the bottle of antiseptic as she felt the blood rush to her face. "I see." She noticed Slade's cheeks turn a shade of red and he looked away. "Thank you."

"Y-yeah." Slade noticed the bag. "Oh, you brought back my jacket. Thanks." He stood up and walked across the room to retrieve the bag. He pulled out his jacket and went to put it on. He stopped and smelled it.

"What are you doing?" Wisteria exclaimed.

"It smells nice." Slade sniffed it again. "Did you have it cleaned, or sprayed it with something?"

"That's probably just…" Wisteria stopped herself, suddenly aware of the fact that she was sitting in his living room. She looked down, realizing she was sitting on his bed. Was this his bedroom? When did they get in here? She glanced around; it looked like this one room counted for the entire living space.

"Just what?" Slade stopped mid sniff when he realized what she meant. "Oh." He turned to Wisteria. "Wouldn't your scent fade away? I mean, it was in the bag and all?" Wisteria looked out of the window, ignoring his questions. "What? I mean unless you put it back on somewhere between now and…"

Slade noticed Wisteria's cheeks became nearly as red as her eyes.

"Forget I said anything." Slade tugged at the collar of his shirt. "It's a bit warm in here. Want to go out, maybe get a bite to eat?"

"I've got things to do," Wisteria stood up, adjusting her skirt. "And I only planned to return that to you." She walked over to Slade and looked up at him. "Remember what I said; I have no intention of letting you sweep me up in whatever it is you're doing."

"Ah," Slade looked downcast. "Well, thank you." He stepped to the side, allowing her to exit.

Wisteria looked him up and down for a moment, then walked toward the door.

"_What's your relationship with him?"_ Bright's words suddenly came into her head.

"Slade." Wisteria's tone made him stop with one arm in his jacket. "You always believed in fate, right?"

"Y-yeah," he was caught off guard by the question.

"Do you think a person's fate is predetermined?"

"Up to a point," Slade answered, opting to not put on his jacket. "Then you have to make decisions for yourself."

"You believe that life is driven by fate and a person's own decisions?" Wisteria felt her heartbeat rise.

"Yeah," Slade felt a shift in her mood, one that made his blood run cold. "It's both. Why?"

"So…" Wisteria glanced over her shoulder at him. "Was it fate or your own decision to break up with me back then?"

A lump formed in Slade's throat. He coughed a bit and looked down. "B-both…"

"I see." Wisteria opened up the door.

"It was fate that caused what happened back on the Island," Slade called out to her. "But it was my decision to break up… because…" Wisteria stopped in the doorway. "I'd have rather hurt your heart by breaking up, than risk losing you to The Light of Destruction." Wisteria clenched her fists and rounded on Slade. He watched as she closed in on him and began to wail on his chest. "Wait!" Slade put his arms up defensively, the sound of her fists thudding against his arms growing louder with each blow. "You're actually strong, that hurts!"

"Who said that was your decision to make, Slade?" Wisteria's voice overtook the sound of her blows. Slade froze, the question making him drop his guard. Wisteria swung her fist upward, but Slade leaned backwards. Wisteria's fist ended up knocking Slade's hat off of his head. They both looked down at it, then Wisteria looked up at him.

His brown hair covered his face, arguably more so than the hat ever did. Slade crouched down and retrieved his hat, brushing it off. "You're right." Slade put his hat on and stood up. "That's a question I've been asking myself for a while now."

Wisteria stared at Slade, at a loss for words. "And honestly, I'm not sure if it was, but I don't regret it." He smiled and moved to take Wisteria's hand. She took a step away from him; Slade clenched his hand, then put his hands in his pockets. "You got into a wonderful school, you have that acting thing on the side," Wisteria looked shock at his mention of that. "Of course I'd recognize you on TV." Slade smiled. "So even though it hurt us… you and me," Slade changed his words with a bit of a cough. "I think it turned out for the better."

"You kept tabs on me after breaking my heart?" Wisteria spoke coldly.

"I'd come across your commercials by random," Slade explained. "And I've bumped into a few students in my odd jobs, and saw you at the school when helping them out. I just kept my distance for… obvious reasons."

"You mean to tell me this entire time you were still interested?" Wisteria wasn't sure if she was upset or relieved.

Slade let out a bit of a laugh. "Interested is an understatement."

"Is it?" Wisteria gave a shrug. "Then what word would you use?" Slade moved toward her. Wisteria reflexively stepped back from the sudden movement, bumping into the open door. She lost her balance, causing Slade to grab her arm. The two fell towards the wall, but Slade's extended left arm gave them both leverage against the now closed door.

"**Intoxicated.**" Slade uttered. Wisteria gasped, the tone of his voice stirred her to the core and memories of their time together at their old school flooded into her consciousness instantaneously. Her heart skipped a beat, and she found it difficult to breathe. Her body temperature skyrocketed as Slade leaned into her, his own body heat intertwining with hers.

_He was so close._

The smell of antiseptic on his skin was outweighed by the smell of conditioner in the locks of his hair hanging near her face. She could feel her pulse and his own where he gripped her near the shoulder. She became aware that his heart was beating rapidly, their pulses almost synchronizing. His warm breath with the faintest scent of something sweet he had eaten danced down her neck. She looked up to say something to him, but barely managed an exhale. She saw some of his hair move with her breath and Slade drew closer to her face. She could feel his hair tickle her forehead and the tips of their noses touched. Although she couldn't see his eyes, Wisteria could _feel _his gaze on her lips. She raised her arms and pressed them onto his chest.

He shuddered. His torso was burning! She could feel his heart pounding away in his chest to the point she could almost hear its rhythm in her ears. Was it because his body was burning up, or her hands felt frigid? His grip slackened on her arm but his hand traced up her shoulder and his thumb followed her jugular. Wisteria shuddered from the warm digit on such a sensitive part of the body. His hand caressed her chin and softly angled her face upwards. She followed the motion, as though the proximity was something she desired. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt and no doubt his skin and her hands pulled him closer. His body complied, as though it yearned for the closeness as well.

The two were statuesque, their lips quivering closely but never brushing.

Their breathing had long been synched.

Wisteria's eyes were half closed, Slade's face visible to the nose and the slightest white of his sclera.

His eyes were just as laden and full of…

_Full of…?_

She saw a tear roll down his face.

Slade bit his lip and hung his head. He exhaled sharply through his nose and pushed his body away from Wisteria. Wisteria didn't release him. Slade moved his right hand from her chin to her hands. He gently squeezed both her wrists until her grip loosened and he pulled away from her. With his left hand, he wiped his eyes then took her hands in his.

"I am so sorry."

Wisteria blinked a few times. "What?" She felt as though she were waking up from a deep sleep.

"I…" Slade rubbed her palms with his thumbs. "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to do _this _to you." Slade sniffled a bit. "I knew I shouldn't have spent the day with you before…" Slade gently pulled Wisteria away from the door before releasing her and opening it. "I'll walk you home."

Wisteria shook her head in confusion. "Slade, wait." She went to move, but her legs mysteriously felt weak. Slade placed his arm around her for support, but Wisteria heard him let out a sound of disgust. "What was that noise about?"

"I'm ashamed of myself…" Slade's tone reflected his words, as his voice dripped with venom.

* * *

They arrived in the Tops area, where the more affluent members of society lived. By now Wisteria was feeling back to normal, but an odd haze clouded her mind. She knew what just happened but wasn't exactly sure what had caused it, nor why she couldn't bring herself to ask about it.

"Wisteria." Slade's tone was grim. "It'll be best if… you and I forget that any of this happened."

"Uh… sure." Wisteria answered absentmindedly. "But… why?"

"It'd actually be better if…" Slade glossed over her question. "We didn't see each other ever again."

His words seemed to push the haze from her mind. "What?"

"I'm a danger to you." Slade explained. "It's another reason, possibly the main reason, why back on the Island… I made that decision."

"The one you were questioning if it was yours to make?!" Wisteria felt herself getting heated and her voice grew louder.

"Wisteria, please." Slade begged, grasping her shoulders.

"So you're going to leave me? Again?!" Wisteria felt her anger starting to grow. "You're going to make that decision by yourself, Slade?"

"I have to, Wisteria." Slade managed a sad smile. "Because I can't pull you into any supernatural weirdness. It was your wish."

"You come back to me after all this time, just to break my heart a second time?!" Wisteria's voice was starting to carry and echo. People were stopping and paying attention, and Slade knew that his appearance wasn't exactly the norm in Tops. Wisteria either didn't notice this or didn't care. "Is that all you're good for, disappointing me?!"

Slade pulled away from Wisteria. Wisteria felt an odd sensation, like a sudden burst of energy to an exhausted body. "Maybe." Slade spoke softly. "But I'd rather not find out. Get home safe, Wisteria." Slade turned his back on her. "Do me a favor… and don't come looking for me, no matter how much you want to." He walked away, and with each step, Wisteria felt her heart grow heavier…

_**END**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Behind Red Eyes – Metamorphosis**

_**Chapter Two**_

Wisteria had done the exact opposite of what Slade asked and tried to find him the next morning. There were too many questions she had and he was the only one who held the answers. She of course went to his room, but he never seemed to be home when she was there. She asked the neighbors to inform him she was looking for him and to tell her if they had seen him, but she got the feeling they were on his side. She went back to the auto body shop, but Slade had finished whatever business he had with them. They also would not release his email address because

"Sorry, he asked us not to."

"Plus, you're not his girlfriend."

Wisteria asked duelists around his neighborhood to keep an eye out for him. A good amount promised to keep her posted – with the stipulation that she beat them in a duel first. She spoke with the card shop owner, as she knew Slade's fixation on acquiring new cards could be a prime lead to tracking him down. He had asked what he would get in exchange, and Wisteria offered money. He turned it down, as he owned 'one of the hottest card shops in town'. When Wisteria asked what else he'd want, he gestured to some figurines and said his collection was already completed. By Slade, no less. So there went another solid lead.

Now that it had been nine days, Wisteria had only one last option for finding him.

"It's not every day you invite me for lunch." Bright cooed happily as she opened her boxed lunch. "To what do I owe this occasion?"

"I need you to find someone for me." Wisteria cut to the chase.

"I was wondering why you didn't have any food for this lunch date." Bright covered her lunch and adjusted her glasses as a wicked smile curved her lips.

Wisteria reached under the table and slid an envelope across the seat to Bright. Bright looked away, casually reaching for the envelope and peeked inside. "Is this what I think it is?"

"A limited edition, alternate color schemes of Gaia the Fierce Knight. Only one hundred were made."

"Who am I finding?" Bright carefully tucked the envelope into her uniform blouse.

"The Red Hat duelist." Bright's head snapped to Wisteria, who thought she saw a hint of drool coming from Bright's mouth. "I trust you respect client confidentiality?"

Bright grit her teeth before forcing a huge smile. "Of course!" Bright stood up and took her lunch. "I'll get right on that." She raised an eyebrow at the curious expression on Wisteria's face. "I can start a bit earlier than usual for a friend." Bright gave Wisteria a thumbs up.

"I see." Wisteria responded as the slightest hint of a smile formed on the corner of her mouth.

"So cold." Bright smiled back before taking her leave.

Wisteria felt her lips form their familiar frown as she touched her face. "Cold…" she repeated, her hand on her cheek. She recalled the moment she and Slade were hovering centimeters from each other; recalling the heat from his chest on her palms made her hands tingle now. It was almost unnatural how just remembering that made her body react.

Remembering him always caused some sort of… physical reaction, for better or worse.

When they first crossed paths back at the Island, he was one of the lowest ranking duelists there; a Slifer Red Slacker. She was one of the cream of the crop, an Obelisk Blue. Though in a few months, it became obvious Slade had a true talent for dueling, as well as earning people's trust. Everyone knew who he was and hardly anyone had a bad opinion of him. To Wisteria's knowledge, his charisma alone had gotten him out of some tough spots. Then, again, it was that same charisma of his that also got him into a ton of problems.

His charisma was almost other worldly.

That singular thought put another, chilling, thought into her mind: Just who was Slade actually?

Wisteria was never one to really dig into other's people's lives or affairs – it's something she and Bright were at odds on nearly all the time. But everyone she had interacted with in her life had given up some level of information about themselves. She knew Bright had a sibling. She knew the cliques in her class and her grade and how most people were associated with one another. Even back on Duel Academy Island, she was aware of the other Obelisk Blue students' affluence and influence in the school.

But try as she might, aside from a few preferences, personality traits and his name, what did she really know about the man known by most as the Red Hat duelist?

Wisteria was so deep in thought, her entire day passed by in a blur. Every sequence of thoughts became deeper and more complex than the last. She felt her control over her own thoughts unravel as her mind spiraled into multiple instances of her and Slade interacting – conversations, duels, the times they ate together, the harsh moments of being caught up in whatever gruesome supernatural force of the week. She recalled the magnitude of the things they faced, and the things she knew he faced alone, and was amazed that his personality never changed for the worse.

Wisteria came to the conclusion that Slade didn't have a malicious bone in his body. It was his kindness and pure intention of just having fun that made her grow to trust and respect him. But her respect for him eventually nurtured a gentle spark of passion. Every time they crossed paths, she felt that spark grow more, until it blossomed into a fire. Try as she might, suppressing all of those memories and virtually hypnotizing herself to hate the man, she could not snuff out that flame. She couldn't bring herself to forget about Slade.

So when she suddenly bumped into him over a week ago, all the memories she was so close to burying started to resurface. When they were in his room, their faces hovering so close, her hands on his chest, his body that had definitely changed since she last saw him…

Wisteria felt her cheeks flush. She had toiled hard to seal away _those_ memories

"_You're going to go off and tell all your friends." _She remembered the moment from a year prior as though it were moments ago.

"_I swear to you,"_ She was surprised that his voice had gotten so much manlier in such a short time. _"I won't tell a soul."_

"_Living or otherwise?" _Wisteria smirked at her question, though at the time, it was very valid.

"_From this world or any other." _Her heart skipped a beat now, just as it did then, as they drew closer.

"_Then… okay… But if you tell anyone, I'll end you."_ She meant her words.

"_I'd sooner end myself than hurt you." _And she knew that Slade meant his as their lips met.

Wisteria thanked that she was in her room and home alone; the visualization of the first time she and Slade kissed changed the color of her face to a shade of red that would have put his hat to shame. She felt her head go fuzzy and a battalion of butterflies erupt in her stomach.

"Damn you." Wisteria muttered, burying her face into her pillow. She jumped at the sudden trill of her cellphone. She moved to her desk to get it, but felt something crumple under her bare foot. She looked down, and saw a slip of paper under the wheel of her chair. She picked it up, curiously looking at it, as she absent mindedly picked up her cellphone. "Hello?"

"Finally!" Wisteria pulled away from Bright's loud voice. "I called you three other times and you didn't pick up!"

"What?" Wisteria moved the phone from her ear and looked at her missed calls. Sure enough, there were three back to back missed calls from Bright in the last few minutes. Had she been that deep in thought? "What is it?"

"I managed to track down your lov-" Bright stopped herself. "The person you were looking for."

"Already?" Wisteria was amazed.

"Well, almost," Bright sounded out of breath and Wisteria could make out the sound of an engine. "I know where he'll be headed. But let me tell you something; for someone so infamous, he's damn good at staying hidden. I had to call in a bunch of favors and make some trades with less than savory characters. Which reminds me, we'll need to discuss a higher price of payment for how difficult this job was."

"Give me the information, and I'll give you just about anything you want." Wisteria wasted no time.

"I'm not talking cards, or even money." Bright lowered her voice. "I'm talking a girl's date night."

Wisteria gulped. A girl's date night was the one thing Bright wanted with her more than anything in the world. "It was that difficult?"

"I'll fill you in on the specifics Monday." Bright responded. "But yeah, that difficult."

"Monday?" Wisteria mimed. "But it's Friday night."

"I'm well aware. One of the things I have to do in exchange for one piece of information has me tied up tomorrow. And then Sunday I am going to sleep like a log."

"I understand." Wisteria sighed. "Thank you."

"I'll text you a location. He should be somewhere in the vicinity around 3am Saturday."

"What?" Wisteria looked at her alarm clock. "That's about eight hours from now!"

"And after that, I'll be back at zero Intel of where he is. So if you want to see him, this might be your only chance."

Wisteria looked at her reflection in her vanity mirror. Her red eyes were set with conviction. "I understand. I'll be there."

"And Wisteria…" Wisteria noted her change of tone. "Be careful. I don't know why he's going to be there, but my instinct says it's not going to be safe. You might want to bring some protection."

"Okay." Wisteria responded. She then heard someone in the background but couldn't make anything out. She heard Bright respond with vulgarity and her phone promptly shut off. Wisteria was concerned, but knew that Bright could handle whatever situation she was in. Besides, she had to get ready herself.

* * *

It was two forty nine. The harbor air was cold in the final hours of dusk before twilight. Wisteria used the light from her cellphone to illuminate the piece of paper she had found earlier. On it, was quickly scrawled a series of numbers that Wisteria managed to track down as freighter identification numbers. She was hidden away a few freighters down, her eyes and ears cautious.

"Thank goodness his handwriting hasn't changed." Wisteria whispered to herself. She deduced the paper must have fallen out of his jacket when she hung it on the back of her chair, but now she wondered if Slade would remember which freighter he –

The sound of an engine. No, two of them. They weren't cars, but… duel runners. She glanced at the overpass and saw two turbo duelists. The first duel runner she recognized as belonging to Jack Atlas, his Phoenix Whirlwind. The second was gold in color and a customized stock model, but the rider's red jacket was a dead giveaway. "He's here." Wisteria watched as the two duelists drove into the harbor and parked their duel runners in a wide open area not too far from her.

"I'm glad I made a second note of the meeting place in my PDA." Slade's voice carried in the empty air.

"I guess you have your uses after all." Jack Atlas spoke in his usual snobby tone, but Wisteria thought she heard a hint of humor.

"I'd hate to receive the King's wrath." Slade shot back with a laugh. Jack laughed shortly but then they both looked into the distance. Wisteria heard more engines and shortly afterward, Slade and Jack were joined by a huge group of… robots? Judging by their mechanical whirring, static tones of voice and the obvious bolts and screws along their joints, they were definitely humanoid robots. Wisteria gasped when she saw a second Jack Atlas emerge from the group of robots and begin taunting Jack and Slade.

"So you meat bags showed up, eh?" The other Jack laughed. "I guess even the fake me has a bit of pride."

"I'm going to take down that fake me with the terrible haircut," Jack directed his comment to Slade. "Cover me."

"So you get him and the two by his side. I get the other twenty?" Wisteria could hear the confidence in Slade's laugh. "Sounds about even."

"As if a faker could ever defeat the King! I'll gladly take you on!" The other Jack pointed to Jack and Slade, and Wisteria felt a shiver go down her spine. "The rest of you, take apart that red hat duelist and whoever is lurking in the shadows as you see fit!"

Jack and Slade looked at each other. "Did you tell someone else?" Jack asked.

"No, did you?" Slade looked around. "If you did, tell them not to get in the way of my one against twenty extravaganza!"

Wisteria grunted and shielded her eyes as a huge spotlight gave away her position. She heard the unison footsteps of the robots approach her and cursed her luck. "How did you know I was here?"

"All Ghosts are equipped to see heat sources!" The other Jack laughed. "You two brought a girl to help? How desperate can you get?!"

"Who on earth is that?" Jack squinted into the light.

"That hair color… that voice!" Wisteria ran from the approaching Ghosts, her only option to run closer toward Slade. "It is you!" He yelled in horror. "Wisteria, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"You know her?!" Jack asked, activating his duel disk. "Well, I hope she's at least half the duelist you are."

"You leave her out of this!" Slade turned to the other Jack. "She's neither a duelist nor a member of Team 5D's!"

"Oh, but you seem to care about her." Other Jack cackled manically. "Seize her!" One of the robots made to grab Wisteria; she swiftly pulled something from her bag and shocked the robot with a taser. It shook violently before falling over and powering down. "A fighter, eh? Get her; we'll use her to get these two to submit!"

Slade moved into action. "Jack, plan B!" He yelled, jumping on his duel runner. "Wisteria, c'mon!" He shouted over the sound of his engine. Jack grinned and jumped onto his Phoenix Whirlwind and rode directly toward the other Jack. Slade gunned his engine to get to Wisteria, who had taken down three of the Ghosts, but her taser was clearly out of power. "Wisteria!" He called out to her, extending his arm. She looked back at the gold duel runner, then forward at the robots who seemed to have already replenished their numbers.

"Jump!" Slade commanded. Wisteria complied; she felt Slade's arm cradle her. Slade shifted his runner into a sharp turn, the motion pulling Wisteria's body into his lap. Slade placed both hands on the handles, and revved his engine, and followed the path Jack made right out of the harbor and onto the overpass. He and Jack glanced back; the Ghosts weren't following them, but the other Jack stood at the front of the small horde, the uneasiness from his smile following them into the sky as the inky darkness began to illuminate.

* * *

"I must say," Jack sipped his morning cup of Blue Eyes coffee as the three of them sat in his favorite cafe. "I didn't expect your girlfriend to be there."

"I'm not his-"

"What were you doing there?!" Slade hissed, clearly enraged with Wisteria and cutting her off.

"I-"

"Nearly getting herself killed, it looked." Jack chimed in, casually taking a sip of his coffee.

"I noticed that part, Jack." Slade spoke through gritted teeth, his attention not leaving Wisteria. "You nearly got yourself killed!"

"I/He just said that." Both Jack and Wisteria commented. Slade growled, both his hands tugging at his cap.

"That's not the point – well it is, but…" Slade was clearly fighting to keep himself in check. "I told you not to come looking for me."

"Who said you could make that decision for me?" Wisteria spoke indignantly, picking up the cup in front of her. She ignored the growls coming from Slade and looked at Jack. "It smells lovely."

"Its aromatic presence is beaten only by its bold flavor." Jack smiled at Wisteria as she took a sip and her eyes lit up. "You like it." He stated more than asked.

"I thought it'd be bitter, but this is rather-"

"We are _not_ having tea time right now!" Slade's voice earned the attention of the few other customers. "We are talking about you, Wisteria, putting your life at risk, and setting back some very important work Jack and I did!"

"It is coffee," Jack chimed in, making Slade menacingly turn toward him. "Not tea."

"Keep this up, and it'll be the last cup of Blue whatever you call it you ever taste." Slade threatened. Jack turned up his nose, but sipped his coffee silently. Slade turned back to Wisteria. "Aren't you the one who told me to stay away from you, so I don't get you involved in my supern-" Slade stopped himself, his head turning to Jack. "Super weird life?"

"It looked more sci-fi than supernatural," Wisteria quipped so only Slade could hear, though she took note of Jack's raised eyebrow.

Slade balled up his fists and raised them swiftly, only to slowly and painstakingly bring them down on the table with a soft thud. "That's it." Slade went into his pocket and got his wallet. "How much is your coffee Jack?"

"Three thousand a cup." Slade reached into his wallet, then did a double take to Jack with his mouth ajar. "I don't drink cheap coffee." Slade slammed the amount of currency on the table then another bill.

"That covers her cup, plus tip." Slade gestured to his duel runner parked on the road. "Wisteria, we're leaving."

"I haven't even finished my coffee." She spoke, eyeing it intently. "I only needed to add three sugars."

"Really?" Jack plopped a sugar cube in his and stirred it. He took a tentative sip. "The sweetness adds a lovely layer of taste to it. But three would be too much for my taste."

"I can't!" Slade threw his hands up in defeat. "I can't!" he erupted as he walked out of the café, garnering a few looks from the workers.

"Well now that he's gone," Jack focused on Wisteria. "How exactly did you know where your boyfriend would be?"

"The paper with the number of the freighter fell out of his jacket in my room," Wisteria stopped the cup near her lips. "And he's not my-"

"I see." Jack thought silently for a second. "I've been in a few hairy situations with him," Jack looked over his cup and stared into Wisteria's red eyes. "When surrounded by twenty advanced dueling robots who could turn lethal at any given moment, he gets excited of all things." He glanced over his shoulder at Slade swinging wildly at the air in frustration near his duel runner. "But this is the first time I've ever heard fear in his voice." Wisteria's eyes widened. "And he wasn't afraid for himself or me." With a bit of a cocky smile Jack added "Not that he'd need to worry about me."

Wisteria cleared her throat and closed her eyes. She took a sip of her coffee, and found it bore a bitter undertone. "I don't know the full history between you two," Jack continued "But for that man to flee from arguably one of the most action packed duels of his life and prioritize your safety, well…" Jack swirled his cup of coffee. "I'd say he cherishes you deeply." Wisteria opened her eyes and looked at Jack. He wore a sly smile on his face.

"I'd even go as far as to say he lo-"

"You've made your point." Wisteria's cup made a loud clinking sound on the saucer as she put it down. She went into her bag, and pulled out her wallet, putting down the same amount of money as Slade did. "Consider this a thanks for introducing me to such a lovely brand."

Jack looked at the money on the table then nodded to Wisteria. "Once you two sort things out, I have an event coming up. Bring him along, and I'll bring someone I think you'd like." Wisteria returned his nod and moved to meet Slade who was standing near his duel runner. "Consider it a double date for lovers." Jack watched Wisteria stop in her tracks, clearly upset by his comment. She continued forward, actively ignoring the smug look she could feel on her back.

The waitress moved to Jack's table. "Is everything okay, Jack?" She asked, her face clearly enamored by his presence.

"Of course." Jack replied, sipping his coffee.

The waitress looked down at the money on the table. "You didn't tell them you get your coffee at a discount?"

"Now why would the King do that, Stephanie?" Jack smiled. "Keep it coming, would you?"

* * *

"Slade." Wisteria called out to him as he took a seat on his runner.

"I'll take you home." He replied curtly.

"Can we talk?" Wisteria asked politely.

"I don't know," Slade snarled back. "Can we?"

"_May_ we talk?" Wisteria knew she deserved that. Slade crossed his arms and looked at her. "Not here."

"On the way to taking you home, then." Slade moved to start his runner. Wisteria placed a hand on his arm.

"Could we… ride around for a bit?" Wisteria watched Slade cock his head back, clearly surprised by the question and her tone. "I… I feel like it'd help me gather my thoughts." She could feel Slade's gaze on her become heavy with skepticism. "Please?"

Slade grumbled, clearly upset with the situation but nodded. Wisteria made her move before he changed his mind; she sat in front, placing herself squarely in his lap. "You know," Slade started, his voice still upset but bore a hint of nervousness. "Most passengers sit behind the rider." Wisteria leaned back into Slade and tilted her head upward, looking toward his face. The bright sun illuminated her face, but cast a darker shadow over his. Wisteria heard Slade gasp as he saw the light shimmer in her red eyes.

"Oh," Wisteria tried to mask her disappointment. "Then I'll move."

"Never mind," Slade spoke swiftly. "Just… just hold on tight." Slade then cocked his head to the side. "Your hair is in a single ponytail." He looked her up and down. "And your clothes are closer fitting than usual."

"I was infiltrating a harbor at 3am." Wisteria explained. "I didn't want to stand out."

"R-right." Slade sounded as if he had to remind himself that he was upset. Wisteria held in a gasp when he nestled his chin over her shoulder.

"Why…?" She managed, feeling the warmth of his skin and breath on her neck and down her shirt.

"We'll be going fast so I need to see past your head." Slade revved up the engine, the vibrations of the machine coming to life took Wisteria by surprise. "Is this your first time on a duel runner?"

"Second, technically." Wisteria corrected. "Though… it seems fun." She looked over at Slade. "I think…" She felt a bit of joy as she said: "I could get used to riding on yours, Slade."

There was silence from the red hat duelist. Wisteria felt him adjust uncomfortably behind her; something poked her a few times and she glanced back at Slade in curiosity. "Slade, what was that just now?"

"And we're off!" Slade suddenly hit the throttle and they peeled off. Wisteria let out a shriek as they raced down the street…

* * *

The two stood outside of Wisteria's home in the Tops area. Slade had parked his runner and the two had hit a peak in their conversation.

"This is so confusing." Slade broke the silence they had been sharing. "You were angry when we first bumped into each other,"

"You bumped into me." Wisteria corrected.

"Debatable, but not the point." Slade looked over at her. "Then it seemed like you wanted to be civil, until you returned my jacket,"

"That…" Wisteria recalled Bight's words had made her ask a question she wanted the answer to for months now. "That was until you pinned me to your wall." Slade looked away immediately. "I wasn't expecting that when I asked how you felt about me." Slade remained silent. Wisteria couldn't place her finger on it, but something was different about this silence. "It was so surprising, I couldn't think straight."

"Wisteria." Slade's voice sounded urgent.

"Y-yes?" She was taken by surprise.

"It's time," He gulped. "It's time I told you why I broke up with you. It's time I showed you why I broke up with you, and why we can't be together…"

_**END**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Behind Red Eyes – Metamorphosis**

_**Chapter Three**_

Wisteria huffed. One thing she hated was being made to wait. Slade announced a major revelation in their relationship, only to then tell Wisteria that he'd have to tell her tomorrow because he still had important business. On top of that, he needed time to prepare, in more ways than one. Whatever that meant. She huffed yet again; and after she had went through so much to track him down after eluding her for over a week. "What's one more day?" He had said with a sad smile. Wisteria figured he had something big planned, but the thought didn't make waiting any more bearable.

Wait, relationship? Wisteria shook her head. "It'd be a revelation in our relationship as acquaintances." She barely believed herself. A major part of her moving on from her feelings for Slade was simply not seeing him anymore. But now that he was back in her life, Wisteria found that she had already fallen in…

Into the bad habit of getting caught up in his weird, supernatural antics.

Wisteria rolled over in her bed, her actions a physical representation of the turmoil in her mind. "Ugh! Why can't I just make up my mind?" Wisteria covered her head with her pillow. "What is there to make up, anyway? Things seemed easier back at the academy…" She found her mind drifting back to the days they had been dating for about a month. Slade hadn't been like other guys she saw who neglected their girlfriends for their own hobbies or friends. Nor did he try to change himself to her liking or force himself to enjoy the things she liked.

A majority of her friends would have hated that, if they knew they were dating. It was already bad enough she was dating someone at the bottom of the food chain, but he also didn't do everything in his power to bend to her will? How dare he?! But that was exactly what Wisteria appreciated about Slade. Even the people she had known for years prior to the academy ended up changing; be it from the rise and fall in school social status, their interactions with others on the island, or most drastically, all the strange events that occurred there. But Slade? He was always the energetic, optimistic, duel crazed, deck building addict that she met a month after school started. But he always took how she felt into account and never made her feel as if she was just another pretty face, nor was he afraid to challenge people's concepts of how things should be.

And judging by what she saw early this morning, he had only gone further down that road, and in spectacular fashion. Fashion…? "I have a shoot today!" Wisteria checked her cell phone calendar, and sure enough, she had a shoot in an hour across town. "Even if I took the express train, I'd still be late." Wisteria shot out of bed and got herself ready in record time. "Dang it… I'll have to call the director." Her phone rang in her hand to her surprise.

"Director, hello!" Wisteria was prepared for an earful.

"So, I heard you got caught up in a bit of a mess with the filming of Jack Atlas' third movie!"

"…what?" Wisteria deadpanned into the phone.

"Your friend with the green hair informed me about you meeting him yesterday! There should be a car coming to pick you up in a few minutes. Tell me all about the set when you get here! Toodaloo!" Wisteria stared blankly at her phone until the dial tone dropped.

"Green hair? Bright!" Wisteria couldn't help but smile. "So she even covered for me here? I'll really have to show my gratitude." Her phone notified her of a message and she recognized the number as one of the assistants. She hurried downstairs and into the car.

* * *

"Alright, everyone, go get some rest! It's almost daylight!" Wisteria groaned in exhaustion. That was two nights in a row she stayed up well into the morning hours. "You're getting another ride home." The director declared. Wisteria gave them a weary smile and sat down. The director raised an eyebrow. "Are you going through a lot right now?"

"You have no idea." Wisteria reached for a water bottle, and started to drink.

"It's a boy, isn't it?" Wisteria nearly choked on her water at the comment. "It is."

"That's…" The sound of a car honking drew her attention. "That's my ride." Wisteria walked swiftly to the car. "Take care."

"Haha, good luck with your boy toy!"

As Wisteria sat in the back seat, watching the scenery, she saw a rather odd sight. While they lived in the city where dueling never stopped, there was usually a time of day where most people were still asleep, or focusing on their jobs and other responsibilities, and that time was now. However, it looked like everyone who owned a duel disk and their mother was out rather early. "Is there some event going on today?" Wisteria pondered. "Why would it be starting before the sun is up?" She glanced toward the driver who merely shrugged without looking in the rearview mirror. "Thanks…"

Wisteria plopped into her bed as soon as she got inside. It felt like five minutes had passed before her phone made noise. She groggily grabbed her phone and checked the time. "It's evening?!" She scrolled through her messages, a majority of which were work related. But one message from an unfamiliar number drew her attention. She read it, once, twice, then sat up in her bed. "Slade has a cellphone now?!" Wisteria cleaned herself up and raced out of the door.

* * *

"Why not just come pick me up? Doesn't he know it's rude to have a girl traveling at night?" Wisteria mumbled as she made her way to the city center. She turned a corner and saw virtually every duelist in the city standing there and staring at her. She noticed that there were rival duelist groups that had it in for each other for years. There were students from her school, officers from Sector Security, children, teenagers, gang members, celebrities and more. She even recognized the Emcee for dueling event's pompadour standing out. It was almost too much for her to take in.

"That must be her." Someone in the crowd of people stated.

"Yeah, she fits his description." Someone else piped up.

"I fit whose description?" Wisteria demanded.

"Slade's." Nearly everyone spoke in unison.

"I see…" Wisteria was off put by their hive mind response. "So, where is he?"

The crowd spilt like the red sea, and across the city center sat Slade on a park bench, his duel runner parked behind him. "Hi." He waved her over. "May we talk?" Wisteria looked around to find a way around everyone, but that wasn't an option. She walked between the people, seeing their varied facial expressions to each other and to her. A few of her classmates waved to her. Wisteria stood before Slade at the park bench then gestured to everyone behind her.

"What's with assembling the whole city?"

"To prove a point." Slade looked past Wisteria. "Thanks, everyone!" There were various forms of your welcomes and similar replies from the crowd. "Oh yeah, do that one last thing for me if you don't mind?"

"One last thing?" Wisteria felt an ominous sensation in the air.

"Yeah," Slade grinned at her. "I wrote a song and dance number using your name-"

Wisteria spun around on her heel. "All of you, go home, or to work, or anything else! Just don't-" She heard someone blow into a harmonica. Someone else began to play what sounded like bongo drums. Wisteria looked back to Slade with an expression of horror on her face.

Slade's grin broke out into laughter. "Ha, she reacted just like I thought she would! That's a wrap, guys!" The crowd immediately dispersed, everyone going their separate ways. Slade moved over and patted the spot beside him. Wisteria glared at Slade as she sat beside him. "I know you probably hate me for that, but it was well worth it."

The two sat there for a moment. "Man," Slade began. "I think the last time we had a serious conversation was when-"

"Was when you broke up with me, after our last duel." Wisteria didn't mince words. "After my last duel."

"Yes." Slade gestured, as though trying to shoo the awkwardness away. "Right. So, about that." Slade rubbed the back of his head. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Slade inhaled dramatically. "I have one of those supernatural powers you hate so much." Slade waited to see Wisteria's reaction. "I see that frozen expression of yours hasn't changed." Wisteria pursed her lips at Slade, prompting him to smile.

"What is this supernatural power you allegedly have?" She asked skeptically.

"It's not allegedly," Slade retaliated sourly. "I've had it since I was back on Duel Academy Island. Probably longer than that, but that's beside the point. I can influence people's minds and emotions."

"Wouldn't that be two powers?" Wisteria interrupted.

"It's all classified as influence." Slade deadpanned.

"Who made these classifications?"

"I did," Slade began to sound exhausted. "It's not like there's a manual."

"So you used this influencing power of yours to gather all those duelists here?" Wisteria asked. Slade simply nodded. "And to prove a point to me?"

"If I didn't give you solid evidence, you wouldn't have believed me."

"That is true," Wisteria admitted. "And seeing a crowd full of people, some of which I know would rather die than be in the same area as one another, is very convincing." Wisteria narrowed her eyes at Slade. "So that's why you're able to befriend so many people and make such strong connections?"

"Most likely," Slade sighed heavily. "At first I thought I was just a charming guy, but apparently, I can draw people to me. Whether they like it or not..."

"Uh huh…" Wisteria's tone made Slade do a double take.

"Which is exactly why… I didn't think that how you felt about me was legitimately your own feelings." Wisteria grew quiet. "And I…" Slade inhaled deeply and stood up. He took a few steps away from Wisteria before continuing his thought. "I care about you too much to rob you of your free will." There was a moment of silence between them. Wisteria sat on the bench, staring at Slade's back. The memories of everything he had said to her and the feelings he caused surged into her consciousness all at once. The sudden stimulus in her mind and heart erupted like a volcano; before she could stop herself, Wisteria shot out of the seat.

"So, I made the decision back then to break up." Slade spoke with a shaken voice. "But when I saw you again – oof!" Wisteria crashed into Slade's back, wrapping her arms around him. The two nearly fell over, and Slade tried to look back at Wisteria.

"Who told you to make that decision by yourself?" Wisteria whispered into his jacket. She loosed her grip some so Slade could turn around to face her, but she held him close as soon as her face touched his chest. "Did you forget what I always told you back then?"

"Back then?" Slade sounded bewildered.

"When we first started dating." Wisteria looked up to him. Slade noticed her eyes were red not only from their color, but from tears she was holding back. "And you'd always run off with your duelists of the week for whatever reason?"

"You'll come back to me," He quoted, a small smile forming on his face. "Won't you Slade?"

"And what ended up happening?" Wisteria asked, feeling her own smile form.

"We…I. I bumped into you here." He chuckled.

"You came back to me." Wisteria held him tighter.

"Yeah… but-"

"Don't worry about some weird supernatural power you have, or picked up, or whatever." Wisteria could feel his eyes locked onto hers. "I didn't get influenced by anything other than your own stupid antics and dumb decisions."

"Uh…" Slade laughed, though the sadness in his tone was still heavy. "That's good, I guess?" Slade slowly put his arms around Wisteria, and breathed a sigh of relief. "I… I really didn't think that you'd be okay with this."

"Hey," Wisteria pried herself away from Slade, but maintained her arms around him. "Let's go back to your place." Slade's face turned as red as his hat. "It's late," Wisteria continued, not aware of his expression. "And I'm not one for PDA."

Slade's expression fluctuated. "What do you have against PDAs? They're helpful devices. I have one. Though I did get a phone recently."

"No," Wisteria chuckled. "Doing this," She gave Slade a squeeze. "In public."

"Oh." Slade chucked himself. "I knew that. So my…" He gulped. "My place then?"

"You are closer to here." Wisteria let go of Slade and moved toward his duel runner. "There's no school tomorrow, and we're editing today's footage so I'm free." Wisteria's hands found one of her long twin tails as she spoke sheepishly. "And it's been so long since we've been… alone."

"A… al…" Slade's nostrils flared as he sucked in air, akin to a fan cooling off an engine. "Alone?" He gulped. "I was feeling a bit uncertain that maybe you still hated me, but if you want to do that…" Slade moved to follow Wisteria to his duel runner, but his knees shook.

"Oh, come on," Wisteria put on airs although her voice was uneven. "We used to do it all the time." She brushed her hair to the side. "Has not seeing me for so long made you go… soft?" She instantly regretted her words when Slade took long, confident strides toward her. He took her hand and practically dragged her to his ride…

* * *

Slade opened his door so swiftly, Wisteria wondered if it were locked. She was pulled inside and Slade's boots were off in the same moment the door closed. He turned around and she could feel his eyes wandering her body. "Wisteria," the wisp that was his voice seemed to envelope her whole body. "You really want to do this? Last week, you said you didn't want anything to do with me."

"I was trying to convince myself that I didn't want anything to do with you." Wisteria spoke as she slipped out of her shoes. "When you broke up with me, it hurt. It hurt like nothing I'd ever felt before." She saw the frown form on his face and stepped closer to him. She placed her hand on his cheek; he instinctively flinched away from the coolness of her touch. "So it was only natural I tried to push you away. But if there's something I learned… we have this bad habit of trying to push the other away when we really just want to be close." Slade pressed his face into her palm, happily reveling in her touch. "So, Slade…" Wisteria reached up and pulled her peach colored hairbands out of her lavender hair, causing the twin tails to cascade over her shoulders. She stared at him, the heat in her face gathering at the cheeks in a light blush. "Let's be close."

Slade slipped out of his jacket, throwing it over the desk in the corner. He stepped close to Wisteria, placing his hands on her arms and moving them up to her shoulders. Wisteria exhaled at the feeling of the back of his hands brushing against her neck, and she closed her eyes as she felt his fingers move down and start to unbutton her blouse. Slade stopped after two buttons and his hands caressed her face. Wisteria felt him draw closer, his breath on her skin and soon the tips of their noses touched.

"Wisteria…" He whispered. "I never stopped loving you." Her breath caught in her throat when he spoke those words. The breath became a small moan as his lips pressed against hers and he drew her closer. Wisteria felt a sudden burst of passion enter her. She flung her arms around his shoulders and yanked him closer, her body pressing against hers. The sudden and immense heat from his body made her shudder and moan. Slade responded to her moan in kind, and his kiss became more powerful. Wisteria instinctively matched him, then pushed to overtake him. He moaned, his hands moving down from her face and onto her torso. She felt his fingers fumble with the buttons of her blouse, one, two, then he gave up and moved to her waist. She felt him tug at the fabric.

They broke the kiss; they both panted and Wisteria stared up into his hidden eyes. Wisteria lifted her arms and Slade lifted the blouse over her head. Slade drew close, carefully puling her long hair through the clothing. As he did that, Wisteria pulled at his shirt. Slade bent over slightly, aiding her in undressing him. As Wisteria hurried to pull off his shirt, his red cap fell off his head. Neither cared as Slade wrapped his arms around her legs and lifted Wisteria off the floor. Wisteria let out an excited squeal, happily throwing her arms over his shoulders and pressing their flesh together into another kiss. Slade took a few steps back from the force of Wisteria's kiss. He let out a low growl as he pivoted and dropped himself and Wisteria onto his bed. Wisteria broke the kiss, her eyes opening and meeting his thick, luscious brown locks.

"That's new." She commented breathlessly.

"It… just happened." Slade let out a small laugh. "Sorry?"

"No," Wisteria ran her hands over his exposed torso. "It was… exciting. You've really gotten bigger." Wisteria suddenly smiled mischievously. "But do you still…" She placed her cheek on Slade's and gently blew on his ear. Slade shuddered and she could feel his heart rate picked up. She laughed triumphantly when Slade scowled at her.

"Oh yeah?" Slade opened his mouth and softly bit into Wisteria's neck. She gasped, her fingers gripping his shoulders and her legs curled around his. "How do you like that?" Slade moved his head so he could look at her. Wisteria's red eyes shimmered in the moonlight coming in the window.

"I love it." Slade was taken aback. "And I love you, Slade." Wisteria took his face in her hands and softly kissed his lips. She could tell by his passive kiss that he was still taken by surprise. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Slade stammered. "For what?"

"I said some pretty mean things to you, and mistreated you. I was being so difficult." She gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry." This time, Wisteria was on the receiving end of a very dominant kiss. She stared at his hair covered face, confused. "Did you just forgive me that easily?"

"Yeah," Slade grinned at her. "Being able to kiss you again has that kind of effect on me."

"Maybe I have that influence thing, too." Wisteria joked, giving Slade a peck on the lips. Slade rolled his eyes and smothered himself in her hair. "Slade… I've missed this." She felt him nod. "Our alone time. It's something that I didn't realize was missing from my life." She felt him nod again.

"It was easily the only thing that kept me anchored on that damn island." Slade spoke quietly into her hair after a few moments of silence. Wisteria wanted to him to explain, but sensed that she shouldn't speak. "There aren't a lot of things I regret in my time back there," Slade continued on his own. "I would do a lot of it all over again, most of it smarter, but I helped a lot of my friends and made new ones." Wisteria felt his lower body move and heard what must have been his pants hit the floor. "But honestly?"

Wisteria felt his hands on her waist. She felt his fingers dancing under the band of her skirt. Her body automatically complied and she lifted her body, allowing Slade to remove her bottoms. "Honestly…" Slade's tongue danced on the nap of her neck. "If it weren't for these quiet moments of closeness with you…" His tongue slid to her chin then slipped across her lips. "No…" Wisteria looked up at his face in the low moonlight and felt the air leave her lungs.

"If it weren't for you," Slade smiled at Wisteria warmly as for the first time since meeting, they made uninhibited eye contact. "I wouldn't have had the strength to make it this far. I wouldn't have been able to see the beauty of someone who doesn't shy away from the world because of who they are or what they look like." Wisteria reached up and further moved the hair from his face and stared into his eyes.

"Slade…" She spoke breathlessly. "Is that why you wore that cap? To hide…"

"It was something I struggled with since I was a kid." He smiled sadly. "So you can imagine how I felt when I first laid," his smile shifted. "Red eyes on you."

"So… that's why you approached me?" Wisteria half teased in her astounded tone.

"That, and your dueling skill." Slade spoke honestly. "And your beauty." He kissed her cheeks as she blushed. "I could also tell that deep down, that like me, you felt the sadness behind red eyes."

Wisteria traced her thumbs under his eyes. "What do your red eyes see behind mine, now, Slade?"

Slade stared at her for a moment. "The same thing I can feel behind mine."

"Happiness." Wisteria finished, drawing him close…

* * *

"Honestly," Bright typed away on her cellphone. "They invite us out here and then they have the nerve to be late?!"

"Knowing that man," Jack smirked. "He probably slept in late. Again."

"He always seemed so punctual," the woman beside Jack spoke up. "Though, now that I think about it, I usually bump into him in the afternoon."

"You've only proven my point further, Carly." Jack looked away from her and toward Bright and her guest. "Now, remind me why I, Jack Atlas, agreed to a triple date?"

"Because Red Hat suggested it." Bright explained, still on her phone. "And then the two of you dueled for rights to a double date or a triple date."

"I didn't care either way, really." Jack scoffed. "And I threw that duel."

"Sure," Bright paid Jack no mind as she looked over to his date, Carly.  
"Wisteria owed me a date night, anyway. I specified a girl's date night," Bright's anger was poorly hidden. "But I guess a triple date is a much bigger scoop for my articles."

"Scoop?" Carly's glasses had an ominous shine to them.

Bright smiled, her glasses gaining the same shine. "I see you're also a woman of current events." Jack sighed, his attention turning to the sound of a duel runner.

"Thank goodness." He remarked a few moments later as the due runner came into view and Bright and Carly went back and forth. "It's about time those two…arrived." Jack stared at the woman he recognized as Wisteria dismounted the ride. She was dressed for the occasion, as was everyone else at the fancy restaurant, but Jack didn't recognize the one piloting the duel runner. He looked at the man in the black suit and red tie with a sense of familiarity. It wasn't until he donned a classy black and red hat did it click. "Well I'll be."

Bright zipped past Jack, Carly and her date, and stopped in front of Wisteria. "Oh my gosh, look at you!"

"Bright," Wisteria seemed unfazed by Bright's speed. "You look great yourself." Wisteria looked down at Bright's hand on her arm as she was guided away from the man on the duel runner. "Yes?"

"Who's the hottie you brought?" Bright glanced back as the duelist rolled his runner into a parking spot. "I thought you and Red Hat had a thing. Wasn't he the one who suggested this?"

Wisteria looked back at her date who was approaching then laughed. "That is him, Bright." Bright's jaw dropped when Wisteria linked her arm around Slade's. "Bright, this is Slade, the infamous Red Hat duelist. Slade, this is my good friend Bright."

"Bright," Slade smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you." They shook hands. "Where's your date?" He glanced around then waved at the unfamiliar man.

"Did you just…" Bright's attention was on Wisteria. "Introduce me as your good friend?"

"Of course," Wisteria beamed. "We're good friends, Bright."

Bright placed her hand on her forehead. "I must be hallucinating." She walked toward her date, taking the confused man by the arm. "Let's… let's go sit down. This is too much for me."

Slade and Wisteria walked toward Jack. "Jack!" Slade called out, greeting the former King with a firm handshake. "Carly!" He broke apart from Wisteria to greet Carly with a hug. "Glad you two could make it. No press chasing after you?"

Jack nudged Carly. "Someone is getting an exclusive, prime time interview tonight."

Carly laughed. "Oh stop it, Jack," Her expression clearly showed she didn't want Jack to stop. "So, Slade, who's the lovely lady?"

"This is Wisteria," He grinned. "My…" He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "We're… we're dating again, right?" He whispered but was still heard by Jack and Carly.

"For the hundredth time, yes Slade." Wisteria sighed, although her expression showed she was excited to say it. "Why do you keep asking?"

"I've got to make sure I'm still awake." Slade gave her a peck on the cheek, causing her to blush. "Well, why don't we go enjoy ourselves?"

"I knew she was your girlfriend from the start." Jack spoke triumphantly, taking Carly by the arm.

"Oh, I guess we'll see you inside?!" Carly shouted, as she was practically dragged inside. "Jack, why are you pulling me?"

"Give the love birds their room, Carly." Jack made sure he could be heard from that distance.

"That guy…" Slade smirked. He went to move but stopped when he felt Wisteria tug his arm. "What is it?" Slade looked back at her. He watched as Wisteria reached up, pushing his hat back and moving his hair. She stared into his red eyes, and he stared into hers for a moment. "You keep doing that." Slade chuckled.

"I've got to make sure you're still awake." Wisteria winked at him before fixing his hair and hat. "Let's go, Slade." She took the lead and they went to join their friends inside…

_**FIN**_


End file.
